What can be said?
by JazzyMcWier
Summary: [CHP.8 UP]As Rodney gets up the courage to tell Elizabeth how he really feels, the team is stranded offworld with the Wraith at their backs. Carson sees her distress and wonders at the truth. McWeircentric, Sheyla. Rating may go up in later chaps.
1. Chapter 1

Rodney McKay was not known for being the easiest person to get along with on Atlantis. Many people found Major John Sheppard to be laid-back, happy-go-lucky, and genuinely pleasant to be around. And Elizabeth Weir, well, she was another story altogether. It wasn't hard to see why some of the Athosian men drooled when she walked into the room.

It also wasn't hard to see how much that annoyed the good Dr. McKay. Some people believed he was protective of her; in a brotherly sort of way, of course. Most people saw the annoyance for what it truly was. Even the cantankerous Rodney couldn't keep his soft side from showing through when Elizabeth showed up in the doorway.

Which is exactly why he tried to become slightly distant whenever she showed that she cared for him; it hurt too much. He knew she had left someone back on Earth and that she was his boss. Above all, he couldn't be sure that she felt the same way. Rodney McKay would never expose himself to be a fool.

Nevertheless, he had done small things: leaving her small, (not mushy, of course), notes on Valentines Day, and dropping slight hints to John knowing full well that if John knew, the whole of Atlantis would know within the hour.

As they walked into the mess hall together, his stomach grumbling and his heart doing gymnastics; they had their usual wall of banter up.

"I told you, the power relay is less than it normally is. While you might not find this disturbing, I do. It's unusual, and yes, this place is not at all usual, still…"

"Ah, Rodney, being your usual pain in the- "John began.

"Gentlemen, can we keep the morning bickering to a minimum for once. Thank you. Now, why is this power relay thing a problem?" Elizabeth stepped in diplomatically.

"Ah, yes, well, Zelenka has the actual stats, but, this mean that either the interfaces are not functioning properly, which is still a problem, but, yes?" he asked, annoyed at the distraction of Carson Beckett standing expectantly at their elbows.

"Remember, when ya git back from M3X-115, come an' see me. Sorry fir interruptin' Rodney, Dr. Weir." The Scot took his food and went to sit down with SGA-1.

Meanwhile, John, Lt. Ford and Teyla were taking bets.

"Yeah, Carson, what do you think? How long before McKay breaks and tells her? We've got, let's see, 3weeks, a couple of months, as soon as we get back from the mission… What can I put ya down for?"

"Well," the doctor said, sighing, "I say somewhere between, when ya git back and 2 weeks afterwards." He said, digging into his food.

"….And, like I was saying, this isn't good!" Rodney said, slightly breathless at his long and passionate explanation.

'God, he's got good eyes. And those lips… Wait, oh, my god, am I thinking about _Rodney McKay_?' was all Elizabeth could think, so she made a non-committal noise.

"So, what are we going to do about it?" he asked, mouth full of food, not noticing her hesitation.

Um, Rodney, in case you haven't noticed, _you_ are the scientist, not me. See what you can come up with when you get back." She replied, hoping no one else noticed her

"Yeah, we're done. Let's go get our gear. Meet ya there, Rodney. Come on Carson, we have lots to talk about." John replied, trying and failing to suppress his cocky grin. Whispering to the doctor, he said, "I think you might win." throwing the Scot a wink.

"What was that all about?" Elizabeth questioned, giving Rodney the eyebrow.

"No idea. Well, I better get going. Er.." he hesitated.

"Yes?"

"Uh…Nothing. See ya when I get back."

"See ya Rodney. Come back in one piece. Carson will have a fit if you come back like you did from M77-185. Remember that, hmm?"

"Got it, no dying and/or being seriously maimed. Bye."

'Ahhh!' Rodney screamed inside, 'Why did you chicken out? You coulda done it then. It's not that hard, _I love you, Liz,_ that's all you have to say!'

xoxo

She watched him leave, bemused at his flustered explanation and hasty withdrawal. They had become very close; ever since he had stood in front of Kolya's gun for her she had felt something for him. At first, she had classified it as gratitude. She would not dare to let her mind find what it really was.

Dr. Kavanagh sidled up to her,

"Dr. Weir," he began, haughtily, "I know something about the drop in power relays. I was studying the data and-" he was cut off with a look from Elizabeth and a raised hand.

"You were studying the data? The data that was restricted to Dr. McKay, Zelenka, and a select few other scientists?" she asked, deliberately

"Yes." He looked annoyed at being caught, "I asked one of the scientists and he said ok."

"Wait," she put in, "This person said it was ok without asking me first? Who was it?"

Kavanagh knew he was caught.

"Dr. Watson." He said sulkily, "He was looking at the data, I asked and he said yes. Happy?" he stalked off huffily.

Considering the fact that everybody knew Kavanagh hated Elizabeth and had seen them argue a lot, that was a pretty tame argument. With the two of them, it may not have been considered a real argument. People speculated that he had a "thing" for her, but didn't like her undermining his power.

Elizabeth went back to daydreaming.

'He seriously does have wonderful eyes. Yeah, bright blue, intelligent, and amazing. When he smirks, his lips twist and look, well, great. I wonder if he's quite muscular, mmm, six-pack and all. Oh, god, not again!'

"Dr. Weir, please report to the gateroom." came the announcement, startling her out of her reveries. She blushed, glanced around quickly and hurried out.

XOXOXO

When she arrived, the team was all geared up and ready to go.

'God, she's beautiful,' Rodney thought, 'She's got amazing eyes; sure, she's not as smart as us, but, she's incredibly intelligent. Usually never get that. Normally, it's gorgeous _or_ smart. Although, April Bingham, hmmm, oh, crap, John's looking at me like I missed something.'

"Ok, gentlemen, and ladies, report back once you've done the scan. John, remember…"

"Yeah, yeah, no fighting the Wraith without consulting you first. Got it, let's go."

They stepped through the gate. The normal "whoosh" of being demolecularized, transported, and put back together had become second nature.

"Ford, take point. Teyla, on our backs. McKay, shut up and stay behind me. Ready?"

He'd never show it, of course, but Rodney was always frightened. Not just for himself, though that was a big thing. He was afraid of losing the people closest to him: John, Teyla, Ford, Carson, and, yes, Elizabeth.Ever since Brendan Gaul had committed suicide on Rodney's watch, he had been more afraid then ever. He blamed himself for Gaul's death; if he hadn't given Brendan the gun to defend himself, it wouldn't have happened. He didn't want that to happen to anyone he truly cared about.

Running into John's back brought him back to reality; he had stopped abruptly. After making some hand symbols, John crouched down behind a tree.

"Aw, crap, Wraith!"

"I do not understand why they would be here. It is not a very inhabited world." Teyla looked confused and wary.

Just then, the Wraith guard looked around at the sound of whispering.

"McKay, can you turn that thing off?" Ford whispered emphatically.

Rodney said back, "Right. If you want us to be blind as well as dead, then, sure, I'll turn off the life signs detector!"

"Just, _shut up_; both of you!" John said exasperatedly, not taking his eyes off the guard and Wraith dart.

The guard walked slowly, deliberately, towards where they stayed, crouched. The team raised their weapons.

"Take them." It was a command.

From all around the four came wraiths; from the bushes, jumping down from trees. The four stood, slowly, going back to back.

"Sir?" Ford questioned.

In reaction, John lowered his weapon slightly; the Wraith took them without a firefight. Not that there wasn't a fight. Rodney struggled, yelling, "No! You don't understand-"

His attempts were futile. The team was thrown into a cell, but, not before the Wraith gave Teyla a scare: They entered her mind.

"Y'ok? Please tell me you're ok."

"I will be fine, Major. Thank you for your concern. Is the rest of the team injured?" Teyla questioned, trying to get up and groaning.

"Yeah, yeah, I am. Aw, yeah, that's permanent back damage. Hey, where's Ford?" Rodney said, not able to keep some of the worry from creeping into his voice.

"Over here, McKay. Sir? Can you help me, I think I'm stuck." Came the muffled reply.

XOXOXOXO

Elizabeth sat at her desk, filing reports. Carson came, inquiring into whether or not she was ok, to which she put her brave face on, one that she kept on most hours of the day. When he left, however, she put the report down and leaned back in her chair.

'I either need sleep or coffee.' She thought. She chose the latter. 'After all,' she told herself, 'It's what Rodney and the others live on.'

As she got her coffee, she heard laughter and turned to see who it was. It was Kavanagh, Zelenka, and Carson. They were looking straight at her, Kavanagh hooting with laughter. She raised an eyebrow when she saw Carson looking incredibly uncomfortable, trying to drag the scientists away.

"Gentlemen," she began, "Now, really. What could be so funny?"

"This is quite amusing, Dr. Weir, but not suitable conversation for such a public place." Dr. Zelenka said, glancing sideways at a _very_ amused Kavanagh.

"Stop being so diplomatic, Mr. science-man. Let's tell her. Ok, are you ready for something very intriguing? Apparently, Major Sheppard has a bet on when our _darling_ Rodney McKay will tell you he is smitten with you." Kavanagh said, fighting the urge to laugh in her face. Her very surprised face, of course. Wait, did the shock have a little pleasure to it? No, that can't be, can it?

"Thank you for telling me. Remind the Major to come and see me once the team gets back, please. Goodbye, gentlemen, Kavanagh." She could barely tell what was coming out of her mouth.

XOXOXOX

Elizabeth stood on her balcony, a questioning, happy look in her eyes. She looked down at the paper twirling in her hands.

'Rodney,

Over the last few months, you can't deny that we've grown very close. Close enough for you to feel compelled to put yourself in harm's way for me. You have no idea how much I appreciate that, and hated it. I hated being helpless; hated to even consider the possibility of losing you. Sadly, that is a very real possibility. To get to the point, I hope you know that I would stand in front of Kolya's gun for you in a heartbeat. And, not just because you're needed to fix things around here. I hope you realize all of this is true.

Always and forever,

Elizabeth (Liz)

P.S.- Please don't be too upset with John.'

'Yeah,' she thought, 'that'll work.' She was interrupted from her planning with the announcement of, "Off-world activation! Incoming wormhole!" Stuffing the note in her pocket, she set off at a run, arriving just as they received an IDC:SGA-1.

"Open it!" were Elizabeth's only words; they came out as a gasp.

'Maybe,' she thought,' Maybe I'll be able to tell him sooner than I'd anticipated.'

But she wasn't prepared for what came next.

"Hello." Said the chillingly calm voice, she immediately knew as a Wraith. "We have conquered you finally. Thanks to your Teyla Emmagan, we managed to get inside your Stargate."

"What the hell?" Elizabeth breathed, finally getting a hold of herself. "Shut it down! NOW!" she screamed.

It shut down but not before Rodney McKay's jacket came rolling through, tied up in a ball. She caught it gently, tenderly, and stood on shaky legs. She had never known before how hard it was to hold back tears. She turned to the soft footsteps at her side. A sympathetic hand squeezed her shoulder, then grasped her hand.

"I'm sorry, lass." Was all the doctor said. But it was too much. She had to try harder than ever to not cry.

"Thank you, Carson. I'll….. be right back." She said in a somewhat firm voice. Without looking at anyone, she clenched the jacket and walked to her room. There, finally, she finally let out all her sadness and frustration. She wept into Rodney's jacket until all that came out were dry sobs. Her heart ached with the pain of losing the one person she truly cared about.

XOXOXOXO

Rodney sat in the dark, shivering. Not necessarily from the temperature. Oh, no, the Wraith's presence was enough to make those Canadian winters feel nice and quite mild. John and Teyla were huddled together; not driven together by the cold, but by fear. Also, by the undeniable attraction they felt for one another.

'At least John has a jacket and a girl.' Rodney thought, huffily, 'I have neither.'

By that time, the Wraith guard had come and taken Rodney's jacket and John's GDO. He could only assume what the GDO was for, but his jacket? That was a question for when they got back.

'Thank God I have a spare.' Was all he thought on the matter.

"Wraith again." John whispered; everybody prepared themselves. The guard came, pointing at Ford.

"That one." Was all he said. Nobody did anything but fidget slightly to stop them. All they could do was pray that the young man would make it. Then, they were gone. Ford threw a last, pleading look to John, then marched forward like the true soldier that he was.

Rodney sat back against the wall, the dark knot of fear in his stomach growing larger with every passing moment. John and Teyla stood looking after the lost one. Teyla suddenly, shyly, put her arms around John's neck, silently asking him to comfort her.

He couldn't bear the sight of them; finding love even at the darkest times.

'That's not nice,' he chided himself, 'Just because they'll die together and you didn't tell her when you had the chance. Wait—' he stopped suddenly, 'Who said you're gonna die? We're not and when I get back, I'll tell her. Yeah, right, when I see her that's it.'

"Hey," John said suddenly, "Cat got your tongue, McKay?"

"I do not understand. What does that mean?" Teyla asked a question in her happy eyes.

"It means I'm not talking much and he wants to know why. Well_, Major_," Rodney said, bitterly, "It's because even in a Wraith cell, thinking we're all going to die, you two are all over each other in love! Me? Oh, no, I'm going to die alone because I'm too much of a chicken to tell the women I love the truth!" he stopped, breathless, that he had just admitted more than he cared to.

Teyla's confused expression became one of sympathy and kindness. John smirked, sadly, knowing that Carson had probably won the bet. Reflecting, he found that he now knew Rodney then he ever would if they weren't always thrown together. Rodney had changed from the arrogant, self-centered man he had once been. He now cared about other people. Not that he wasn't still arrogant and self-centered. That crust had just been broken a little to show the real man inside.

Hours passed, Rodney annoyed at the two who spent their time whispering sweet nothings and kissing.

'I'm always jealous. Why am I the one being punished? Because I'm a coward. I had the opportune moment-I lost it. God, why did I just let it slip by?-' his thoughts were cut off by the return of the guard and Ford, escorted by dozens of Atlantians. All had wraith stunners and captives.

"Wha- What happened?" came the garbled question from Rodney.

"Apparently, Dr. Weir just couldn't let us die." Ford replied, grinning.

"C'mon, let's go. Get us out of here, Lt." John said, impatient to get out.

XOXOXOXOXO 

The gate went off.

"Incoming wormhole! Receiving Dr. McKay's IDC."

Elizabeth was there in an instant

"Shut the shield down!"

As the team walked through the gate, both Elizabeth and Rodney were shaking. She ached to see him and take his hand, showing him how she felt. As their eyes met, they both knew in that instant, what the other was going to say. She walked slowly toward them.

"Well guys, how ya feeling?" she purposely made her voice calm.

"I have permanent back damage, but, other than that, ok." Rodney struggled to measure her steady voice.

"We'll see you guys later, hmm?" John put in diplomatically, motioning for the others leave the two of them alone.

"Hey, let's take a walk, huh?" Elizabeth said, though it was less of a question and more of a command. He swallowed audibly and nodded. They made their way to a private balcony, neither saying a word, both enjoying just being together.

"So," Rodney prompted.

"So," Elizabeth returned. Both smiled; it felt great to be near each other again.

"Guess what," Elizabeth started, not bothering for him to answer, "Apparently, John has a bet going on when you'll tell me what we both know. So, let's prove them wrong. I want to talk first, 'k?" the words flowed on their own.

"Wha-uh, sure," he stammered, wondering if he should feel relieved or anxious. He decided both.

"I had a note for you, but it's in my quarters along with your jacket." She paused, knowing that sounded weird. She plunged ahead anyways.

"Basically it said that…." She paused again, trying to get up the courage to say what she so wanted to.

Rodney put a hand up to her lips.

"I love you." He said, shocked that the words sounded so, so…right.

She pulled his hand away from her lips, holding it in her own. Then, on an impulse, she reached and brought his face to hers. As their lips met, they melded and meshed together, each wanting it to last a lifetime.


	2. Chapter 2

They walked into the briefing room together with Rodney detailing his part of the mission. Elizabeth stopped ,seeing that John and Teyla had put their  
feelings on the table, too, since the latter couple were kissing like there was no tomorrow.

"Well, hello there." Rodney muttered, but Elizabeth  
was too shock to hear him.

"Major! Teyla!" she cried not knowing if she should punish them for unwanted PDA or just let them be. As the two looked up John was worrying at all at being  
caught, but Teyla looked sheepishly.  
"I am sorry, Dr. Weir. I did not realize anyone would  
find us here." She said John, however, looked like he  
didn't share the sentiment, but made no comment  
against it.

"Well, since we're all here now let's get down to business, shall we?" she asked. "Wait." She stopped suddenly. "Where's Lieutenant Ford?"

"Right here, Ma'am." Aiden Ford said strolling into the room, apparently having just come from a shower.

"Alright, let's start. Major." Elizabeth continued, "What the hell happened?"

A recap of with little glances between all came to an end, with John stammering to a stop about the time when Ford was captured.

"We honestly don't know what happened to Ford when he  
went with the Wraith." Everyone looked at the young Lieutenant expectantly.  
"Well," he began reluctantly, " They took me to one of those big 'feeding' rooms. The guy one offered me food. I asked why they cared about my eating. And, well, he told me that they were fattening me up for one of their sisters. Man, that was creepy! That was when the cavalry arrived. Thanks again, ma'am. That's about  
it." he ended his narration, shivering slightly at reliving it.

"Well, gentleman, ladies, I think that about covers it." Elizabeth said. "Go get a good night's sleep. Dismissed." She told them. " Yes, Rodney?" she asked, as he had come up to her, looking really nervous.

"Erm. well. this is quite stupid, really, but. would-you-like-to-have-dinner-with-me?" he said, cringing at how it had come out.

She stood there, pleased at him being the one to ask, completely oblivious to Ford lurking in the corner.

"I'd love to. How's 21:00 sound? In the cafeteria, ok? Cool, see you then." And with that, she strolled out of the room, leaving behind one extremely happy  
doctor.

"Doc. Hey, Doc." Ford's voice cut through his reveries.  
"Mmm? Yes?"  
"Can I talk to you for a minute?"  
"Sure. Not too long, though. I have a date with the astounding Elizabeth Weir. Keep it short and sweet."  
"Okay then. How's this!" Ford pulled out a gun and, taking the disbelieving Doctor by the neck, shoved him into the control room.

"Get off me!" the insane Lieutenant shrieked, flinging a totally scared scientist out of the way. "Now, Doc., get Weir on her microphone. I want to talk to  
her!"  
Rodney pressed some buttons.  
"Elizabeth?" he spoke into the air, " Be careful!" he yelled, just before his world went black.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

"Rodney? Rodney. Can you hear me?" As the aforementioned scientist opened his eyes, he saw a beautiful woman surrounded by a white light.  
'This must be heaven. She's an angel'

"Oh, thank God. He's awake. Rodney? Can you hear me?" the beautiful woman repeated. "What happened?"

"Are you an angel?" he asked softly. The question raises eyebrows and snickers from the others who were in the room. A few nurses could be  
heard exhaling a small 'aww' or a wishful sigh.

"Thank you for the compliment, but, no , I am not an angel. You are in the infirmary and I'm Elizabeth. Will he be ok Carson?" she turned to the doctor.  
"I should say so lass. He took quite a nasty fall, but, other than a headache, he should be fine. Alright, everybody out," with that, he left, bringing  
his clipboard to another nurse, who glanced at the two still in the room.

"Still up for dinner? Or, breakfast, as my watch tells  
me."  
"Well, I was thinking of getting out of here, yes.  
What time is it?" he groaned, sitting up in bed. Her  
eyes traveled from her watch to him. He noticed and  
wondered at the staring. She started giggling,  
managing to say, "05:30."  
He stared at her questioningly as she promptly blushed  
and averted her eyes. He looked down and immediately  
felt like an idiot: he was mostly naked except for his  
boxers.  
"So, yeah, um, maybe dinner tonight?" he said, clearing his throat and slinking down beneath the  
covers.  
"That would be nice? Where and when?" she chanced looking at him; relief and slight disappointment evident on her face when she saw him all covered up.

"Um, my place, maybe? Same time sound ok? Cool, then  
it's a date."

Lt. Aiden Ford woke up in a holding cell to the muffled whispers of a guard and John Sheppard.  
"Major Sheppard. I see you're ok."   
"Ford. C'mon. We both know this isn't you; this is the Wraith." For once, John looked almost pleading, but just almost.   
"You're right. This is the Wraith. And now, this is me as well. You pathetic beings will never hold us captive again. We will send more ships; even though  
you defeated us once, we will come again!" he laughed  
maniacally, his eyes rolling into his head.  
"Get Carson down here, NOW!" John screamed, opening the cage to help his friend. Ford was rolling on the floor, torn between pure ecstasy and pain, the pain taking hold.

Carson entered the room at a run, followed by numerous other medics, Elizabeth, and Rodney. All stared at the man on the floor of the cage. Carson moved into action first, yelling medical terms to his colleagues. Elizabeth also went into action.  
"Smith," she said into her microphone, " Get a sweep of Atlantis going, searching specifically for Wraith. Get Teyla on it, too. Rodney, move!" she pulled him  
back and out of his state of shock as the doctors wheeled Ford out of the room and up to the infirmary.  
The other three stood there for a moment, wishing none  
of it were real.  
"I'm going to take a walk." John said finally striding out of the room before the others could stop him.  
"Major, hey, wait up!" Rodney fell into stride with  
John. "Hey, what's up? Well, besides the whole thing of Ford going nuts, but, yeah.." He left it open in case the other man wanted to talk.   
"I was thinking of visiting the mainland. See how the Athosians are doing. See if I could score some coffee or chocolate. Wanna come? I'll get Teyla, too," seeing  
the other's hesitation, he added, "Unless you don't want to. I'll go and bring some back."  
"No, I'll come. I just need to be back by 21:00. You know, to set up and stuff."  
"Oh, yeah," John drawled, "You got a date tonight, huh. Need some tips?"

"No thank you, Major," Rodney's tone defensive, " I'm  
just fine as it is."  
"Call me John. Trust me, I'm an endless well of tips. For instance, if you somehow got a hold on some wine," he winked, "don't leave it too long or-Teyla! Hi!" all  
three stopped to stare at each other: John and Teyla at each other, and Rodney at John in disgusted disbelief.  
After a few moments of silence, Rodney couldn't take it anymore.  
"The mainland, Ma-,John." He reminded the other man, snapping an impatient hand.  
"Yes, right. Teyla, would you like to visit the  
mainland with Dr. McKay and I…me, Dr. McKay and me?"   
"I would love to see my fiends again. Thank you." she  
and John just stared at each other, oblivious to the infuriated doctor, who let loose a sigh. He couldn't help it, nor did he want to. He was just bored of the whole lovey-dovey, mushy stuff.   
"I believe Doctor McKay would like to leave now, so, we shall." Teyla stated, finally catching his hint.  
"Lead on, MacDuff." John told her enthusiastically,  
with amusement at her quizzical look.  
"It means let's go." Rodney told her.  
The trio made their way to what was the jumper bay  
where, as John stepped in, Jumper 1 came alive.  
"Hey! Ahhhh! Don't hurt me, please!" cried a small  
voice from the front seat of the jumper.  
"What the-Elizabeth!" Rodney tapped his earpiece, "We  
have a.situation. Could you get down here now? Yeah,  
thanks."  
Teyla made her way to the young girl.  
"Do not be afraid. I am Teyla Emmagen, this is Major  
John Sheppard and Doctor Rodney McKay." She tried to comfort the girl, nodding to each in order of her introductions. The guys looked nervous and distant;  
Teyla smiled and shook her head, wondering at the boys' hesitation.

Elizabeth appeared at the jumper door suddenly, taken aback at the presence of a previously unknown being on Atlantis, let alone a little girl.   
"Hello there. What's your name?" she asked kindly to  
the shaking child in the front of the jumper.  
"I.I am Jessalyn. "And this is Teyla, John, and  
Rodney." The child stated, proud at remembering all of  
their names.  
"I am aquatinted with the other three, but, thank you.  
I am Elizabeth Weir. Where are you from, exactly?" she asked.

"I am from Earth but was moved to Macidia and I came  
back here with these three, and another, and they  
didn't know I was there and-" she cut off on the verge  
of tears.

"Shhh. It's alright, Jessalyn." Cooed Elizabeth, maternal instinct taking over. She took the child into her arms hesitantly. Rodney felt his heart warm at the  
sight of the woman he loved comforting a sweet child; a child who looked extraordinarily like-  
"Rodney."  
"Huh-What? Yes?" he hated being cut off like that.  
"Will you come with me to get this girl some food? How about a quick meeting when you two get back from the mainland?" she addressed the other two.  
After nods and murmurs of assent and short good-byes,  
the two groups went their separate ways.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own the show or characters.

* * *

"So, Jessalyn, you want some food? Get to know people around here? Yeah? Let's go, then, shall we. Rodney," Elizabeth caught his eye, silently warning him to be on his best behavior.

"Yeah, how 'bout a tour, hmmm? See, this is the jumper bay, because we park the jumpers here. Originally, I wanted to call them 'gateships,' but, no. And, this, obviously, is the hallway; if we go up these stairs and around this corner, we will be in the gate room where the Stargate is, hence the name. And if we go up more stairs and through a few corridors, we will finally get to the mess hall. What?" he broke off at Elizabeth's mocking gaze and Jessalyn's smothered giggling.

'She's cute. It's not as if I don't _like _kids,' he justified, 'They're just really annoying. And, they have jam hands. But, she's got those puppy eyes. Hell, she's got great genes. Wish I had gorgeous parents, but, _nooooo,_ I get stuck with the ugly ones!'

"Rodney," a tiny, sweet voice said, "You're funny." He looked at her, startled; not many people actually said that to him seriously. If they weren't being sarcastic, it was because they were drunk or he had made some inappropriate comment or another.

"Yes, he is," Elizabeth agreed then turned her attention to Carson who had just stepped into the hall. "Carson! Over here! Any news?"

"Aye. And none too good at that. He- oh, who have we got here? Hello, lass. Who are you?" the Scot bent down, a question in his eyes but a friendly smile on his lips.

"I am Jessalyn. And you are…" she paused, struggling to recall his name, "Carson," she stated proudly.

"Aye. That I am," he replied chuckling. "You seem like a bright young lass. May I talk to these two for a minute, darlin'?" At her reluctant nod of assent he drew the aforementioned to the side.

"He's stabilized but I'm afraid to report that he started to scream random things about the Wraith and we had to sedate him. It took three times the normal amount to do it, but he's asleep now. Rodney?" he turned to the astrophysicist, "Drs. Zelenka and Kavanagh wanted to see you about some scientific thing. Although," he continued, eyes twinkling, "They said it could wait for a while. Nothing urgent."

Rodney coughed, "Well, yes, I'll be sure to get back to them on that. Thank you, Carson," his voice dripped sarcasm, "Hey, let's go eat, shall we?" he abruptly changed the subject, rubbing his hands together nervously.

"Bye, Carson," the sweet voice piped.

"Bye, lass. I expect I'll see you two later. I'll keep you updated on his status."

"See ya," Elizabeth called to his retreating figure, "So, if we go this way, we'll get to the control room and my office where I spend _a lot_ of my time," Elizabeth took over as unofficial tour guide; Rodney was only too glad to let her.

"Rodney," came the familiar Czech accent.

"Radek. Hey, can the scientific thing wait for a little while?"

"Oh. Yes, it can wait. I wanted to ask about the girl."

"All I know, so far," Rodney spoke in a soft voice, "is that her name is Jessalyn

and she's from Earth, originally. She was apparently transferred to P73-5521. Somehow, she came back with us unknowingly. Weird, huh?" he finished, waiting for the Czech's reaction.

"Yes, definitely, weird. It's very odd how four intelligent people could overlook a young child, even with the best hiding place."

"It's not as if I was _looking_ for her; after all, you know my track record with kids. Not very good. I'm not exactly the city babysitter."

"Well, hopefully, we can figure it out."

"You have a funny voice. What's your name?" Startled, the two men looked at the two women who had made their secretive way over.

'My, she's blunt,' Radek thought. Out loud, he said, "I am Doctor Zelenka. You must be Jessalyn." She nodded, smiling pleasantly at his accent. The former turned to Elizabeth, drawing her away a little.

"Do you know how she got food and water from being in that jumper for days, maybe weeks, on end? I would love to know that answer."

"Honestly," she said, "I don't. Maybe we should ask _her_," she gestured to the little girl who, unbeknownst to the rest, could hear everything.

Rodney looked over at Jessalyn; she looked so lost. Before he could think better of it, he put his hand tentatively on her shoulder. She looked at him oddly, as if sensing his thoughts.

'Man, _that_ would be scary. I wonder if she knows what I'm thinking about Elizabeth. Hopefully not.'

"Rodney?"

"Yeah?" he replied, bending down to her level.

"Thank you," she breathed, trying to keep her tears under control. "Uncle," she added without thinking.

He stayed crouched there, shocked, but, curiously, not entirely displeased.

"Wha-what did you say?" She looked at him with wide eyes.

"Rodney, Jessalyn, let's go get food," came Elizabeth's voice.

"_Ok-ay_," he drawled, stretching it out so that Jessalyn caught his meaning of 'we'll finish this later.'

XOXOXOXOXOX

There were very few people in the mess hall but, then again, it was only 06:50. After getting their pancake and egg substitutes, the trio sat, each lost in their own thoughts. Jessalyn was the first to break the silence.

"So, what has happened since…since you guys got here?" she asked cautiously, at least for a kid. Both Elizabeth and Rodney picked up on the nervous pause. Glancing at Rodney, Elizabeth spoke:

"Well, a lot of things, actually. Most recently, we were attacked by the Wraith. With the help of other military captains and lieutenants," she paused, giving a moment of silence for the departed, "We defeated. Right now, a member of my flagship team," she shot a look at Rodney, "has been compromised by the Wraith. And that's about it," Elizabeth finished, tucking into a pathetic _thing_ posing as an omelet.

"The guy that Carson was talking about!" Jessalyn exclaimed, waving her fork in the air as a victory banner.

'She's quick,' Elizabeth thought, somewhat proudly. Maybe it was her "girl power" streak showing through.

"Hey, Kavanagh! C'mere," Rodney waved the long-haired and surly scientist over.

"Yes? Make it quick-I haven't had my coffee yet," he remarked acidly, looking warily over at Jessalyn, who was eating happily away.

"Just a question: who won the bet?" Rodney smirked at the other man's discomfort. At his feigned confused look, Rodney added, "Y'know_, David_, the one John made about….._us_," he gestured to Elizabeth, who raised an eyebrow, and then to himself, giving Kavanagh a significant look.

"I believe," the latter responded bitterly, "That it is the Major who you should ask." He turned on his heel and strode away from the merry group.

"Whom! I believe it's _whom_ I should ask," Rodney yelled to his back.

Jessalyn started giggling; her laughter was so infectious that the other two soon joined in, hooting hysterically. When they had calmed down, Elizabeth started in on Rodney.

"Why'd you ask him about the bet?" she asked, not really interested in the answer; she just wanted to hear him talk again.

'I could ask him to explain some scientific breakthrough and get the same result. Oh, well, this will just have to do,' she sighed inwardly, as he was beginning on his explanation.

"…..just because he's an asshole, oh, pardon me, doesn't mean we shouldn't keep him out of the loop, eh? I mean, if he knows, then the whole of Atlantis will know within the hour, so I figured….what?" he stalled, looking into Elizabeth's laughing eyes.

"Don't you think our dinner tonight will confirm everyone's suspicions?" she asked rhetorically, knowing that she was right.

"Well, yes, but that's not the point. My point is that I am, was perhaps, in a good mood and wanted to show it. Is that so wrong?" he mock-chastised her.

"What are you two talking about? Auntie…" Jessalyn stopped, fearing the worst. Her very deepest secret had just been revealed.

"Auntie? Ok, where's that from?" Elizabeth glanced over at the open-mouthed Rodney.

'It's not _that_ bad,' she said to herself, slightly offended at the man's reaction.

"Do you mean-?" he started, but didn't finish, his question. Jessalyn caught the meaning and replied with a nod.

"Jessalyn? Rodney?" Elizabeth turned to each, trying to figure out what had just transpired to turn her, no, _their_, doctor that wonderful shade of red.

'I'm missing something. There's got to be more,' she puzzled.

"But….how? You said you came from Earth, right?" Rodney's question came out garbled both from nervousness over the answer and the act of trying to get information without Elizabeth catching on. He didn't want to jinx his relationship with her.

"I should probably tell you, then. Although, I don't know how or why; after all, _you_ are the scientist, I'm not. But, can we go somewhere where people won't hear me?" Jessalyn said quietly.

"Sure; my quarters sound ok?" Elizabeth offered. Heads nodding in agreement, the trio rose, heading to her rooms.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Once inside, they got coffee, hot chocolate for Jessalyn, and settled in for a story.

"Well, my mommy and daddy told me not to tell anybody but I guess I have to," Jessalyn sighed, "I _am_ from Earth, just not _your _Earth. I guess I'm from a, oh, what'd he call it, a parallel universe?" she questioned the terminology.

"Really? But that makes no sense. If you—" he cut off at Elizabeth's look.

"Let the girl talk, Rodney. Please, keep going," the woman said kindly.

"Well, where I come from Auntie Sammi and Uncle Jack are married-"

"Finally! Sorry, sorry." Rodney looked sheepish.

"You," Jessalyn gestured to Elizabeth, "are my Aunt. And you," she pointed to Rodney, "are my Uncle."

"Then who are your parents?" Elizabeth asked.

"My parents are John and Teyla Sheppard. Has that happened yet?" she questioned warily.

"No. John and Teyla have only just recently admitted their feelings for each other; although, I've known for quite awhile." Elizabeth answered.

"And you guys?" Jessalyn asked a slight mischievous look in her eye which, no doubt, she got from her father.

The couple glanced at each other, making a few "hems" and "haws," when Rodney finally answered.

"The same as the Major and Teyla," he mumbled, not quite meeting Jessalyn's eye.

"Ahhh," Jessalyn replied knowingly.

"Yeah, ok?" Rodney shot back defensively. Instinctively, Elizabeth grabbed his hand to calm him down.

"Where's your bathroom?" Jessalyn asked.

"Right down through there," Elizabeth answered kindly, pointing.

"For a little girl, she sure has a lot of _wisdom_," Rodney snarked, "_And _we don't even know how old she is or anything else for that matter!" he dropped his guard momentarily, letting his voice go beyond a whisper.

Jessalyn walked back out of the bathroom at that precise moment.

'They still don't trust me,' she thought, tears springing to her eyes. She heard Elizabeth sticking up for her but it made no difference. She wiped the tears angrily aside, hating the fact that she was so weak and _young_ compared to these people around her. She remembered the fact that they weren't likely to trust her; after all, they had only her word to go on that she was who she was. They weren't _her_ beloved Aunt and Uncle.

"Ma tante, mon oncle," she said, trotting back into the room. Surprise was evident on Rodney's face. "You taught me," she said quietly, sadly, as she passed to her seat. She was itching to hug them both; she had missed them so much. It hurt to be so alone.

"Rodney," Elizabeth said, drawing him away a bit, "Do you really dislike her or are you just afraid to show your feelings, again?" smiling a little, she added, "Remember, she did call you 'uncle.' And in French, no less!" At the indescribable look in his eyes, she knew she was right.

"Is there anymore you'd like to share with us? How, for example, you got here?" Elizabeth asked, more to break the awkward silence then anything else.

"I already told you, I don't know," Jessalyn sighed.

"No, to Atlantis itself. Now, tell me if I have this down right: You came from your Earth somehow to Macedonia, then stayed on a puddle jumper without food or water for weeks. I'd love to know how you managed all that and still seem to be perfectly healthy. Although, I don't know that for certain; we'll have to bring you to Carson to be sure." Elizabeth said, trying not to seem to much like it was an inquisition.

"Je ne suis pas malade. Rodney," Jessalyn turned on the doctor, "You remember when Da-_John_, reported that some supplies had gone missing and you immediately said rats? That was me," she finished, triumphant at having gotten away with it. Rodney gaped a little at the precocious child in front of him.

Elizabeth, however, was not paying attention; she was wrapped in her own thoughts. This adorable girl seemed so familiar but she couldn't place it exactly. Maybe it was because her parents were very close friends; a surrogate family, almost. Jessalyn also seemed to know them so exactly that it was only natural for Elizabeth to treat her like a daughter of her own.

'Not that I have much experience with that,' she thought bitterly, 'Simon wanted to adopt a baby girl but_, no,_ you said she would "interfere with work" and other such worthless excuses!' Elizabeth had kicked herself over and over again for that decision.

"They don't know, do they?" the child asked, a bit sadly.

"How could they, we just found out a little while ago," Rodney answered quickly.

"I don't think so, though Teyla might suspe- Yes?" Elizabeth said into her microphone.

"Dr. Weir, I'm sorry to interrupt, but the Major and Teyla are back from the mainland." The faceless voice said into the air.

"Thank you, Sergeant. Tell them to meet us in the briefing room." And with that, she tapped off the annoying thing always stuck in her ear.

"Well, let's go, shall we?" Rodney proposed, getting up to put stuff away.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO 

"Look what we found!" John taunted, holding some chocolate bars and a few bags of coffee.

"Mmm! It looks yummy," Jessalyn said, eyeing the chocolate with hopeful eyes.

"One for the li'l lady," John gave her a chocolate bar and was rewarded with a squeal of delight.

"Are you going to put that on?" Rodney asked, nodding to the coffee, "'Cuz if you weren't, I'd go do it. Y'know how much I need my coffee, so-" he stopped as he realized people were giggling, Elizabeth outright laughing, at his comments.

"Now that we're all here, let's get down to it. This girl, who you know as Jessalyn, told us that she originally came from Earth, but moved to a planet named Macedonia; a.k.a. P73-55221. You two left us, leaving Rodney and I to do the 'dirty work' of why and how," Elizabeth paused, her eyes seeking permission from Jessalyn to tell them. From the girl's steely gaze, Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak.

Unexpectedly, Rodney jumped in, "This kid told us that her parents were John and Teyla Sheppard. She asked us if that had happened yet-you two getting married and….yeah," he waved a distracted hand and continued, "But, the point is that she _was_ from Earth, just not necessarily from the Earth we left. She came from an alternate reality; somewhat like the one Dr. Jackson found the first year the SCG was up and running. Although, yes, Dr. Jackson used a 'transportation' mirror or something like that, we know from personal experience," he glanced around, trying to remind them of the older Elizabeth, "that it is possible _without _that mirror. Now, we have another example," he finished.

Elizabeth sat, trying to gauge Teyla's reaction, which was much harder to find than John's. He just sat there with a look of utmost confusion on his face.

Looking between Jessalyn and Rodney, John tried to speak but found, with some horror, that he couldn't. Wetting his lips, he tried again, "So, I'm a dad."

"Yup," Rodney replied, smirking in his smug, self-satisfied way, "Looks that way."

* * *

A/N: please, please, please review! Flames need not apply, thank you very much. 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: No, I do not own the show or characters. I wish I did, though...

* * *

Later that night, Rodney finished his preparations for the date he had rehearsed several times in his dreams.

'Is this really happening?' was the thought that kept running in his head, alternating with ways of how horribly he could screw this thing up. He straightened his tie, convincing himself it would be fine. 'If I can get my hair to be right,' he had tried gel, a hair spray like substance and water, but he could not convince his hair to do what he wanted it to.

Elizabeth spritzed on some Athosian perfume while happily contemplating her date. 'After all,' she thought, 'Who wouldn't want to dress up and have dinner with him?' It was, of course, a rhetorical question.

"Jessalyn?" she called to the child sitting on the floor reading War and Peace, which was John's book. "Will you come here for a minute?"

"But I'm beating Daddy!" she whined, "He's only on page 33; I'm on 35!"

"This has to do with John and Teyla. Now are you interested? Ok, they're going to the mainland, right? Well, I'm going over to Uncle Rodney's for a special dinner. You have a few options. 1, you can stay here, _alone._Personally, I wouldn't recommend that. 2, you could come with me to Uncle Rodney's. I'm sure he wouldn't mind. Or, number 3, which is you can go with your parents to the mainland." She saw the change in the girl's eyes and knew the last would be the best choice.

"Cool! I'll make sure to tell them it was your idea, though," Jessalyn teased.

"Ah, but it was their idea, not mine. Ask them yourself!" Elizabeth laughed back.

"Fine! I will!" the girl cried, quickly packing up what odds and ends she had. "So," she continued, "I _really_ get to stay with them on the mainland?"

"Yes, you do. And, here they are now," Elizabeth replied to the doorbell pinging.

"Hi," Jessalyn squeaked excitedly, as John and Teyla stepped through the doorway.

"Well, hey there back at ya." John replied, looking fairly pleased, but also a little wigged out as the little package vaulted into his arms. "So," he continued, "what do you know of football? Think we can educate Teyla on the subject?" Shaking her head exasperatedly, Teyla commented on Elizabeth's choice of dress,

"You look nice Dr. Weir." Perhaps she stared a little too hard, for Elizabeth's eyes narrowed slightly at the staring. Teyla knew the doctor was an attractive woman, but she had never seen this stately woman so dressed up before.

"Thank you Teyla. Same to you," Elizabeth replied, "Thank you again for showing Jessalyn around the mainland."

Teyla dipped her head, "It is our pleasure, is it not?" she elbowed John, who didn't seem to need reminding.

"C'mon, let's get out of poor Elizabeth's hair. After all, she needs to keep it perfectly styled." John's eyes gleamed with mischief.

"Yes, with no thanks to you!" she teased back, somewhat flustered. "Have fun on your trip. And," she added, winking a Jessalyn, "Make sure he treats you right."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

By the time Elizabeth was leaving her quarters, she was, quite literally, shaking in her high-heeled shoes. Every time she became very nervous, her feet had tiny tremors. She'd been to all sorts of doctors and none, not one could tell what was wrong with her. It was just one of her quirky habits.

"Just a minute, just a minute….ow!...I'm coming!" Rodney called to the knocking at his door. "Elizabeth." He stood there, shocked, looking at her with a slightly open mouth.

"Hello, Rodney. Mmmm," she sighed, sniffing the air, "It smells good in there."

"Oh, yeah, come on in," he stood aside, still somewhat dazed, to let her pass. She stood there, in the doorway, taking in the smells and the sight of his quarters.

"What is that? It smells _really_ good!"

"Well," he began, regaining some of his normal composure, "It's an Athosian recipe; supposed to be something akin to pasta. You like pasta?" he asked, silently hoping that she wasn't allergic to it or something.

"Yes, I _love_ pasta. My mom used to make it for me when I was a little girl. It was a feel-better medicine of sorts."

"Yeah, lucky." He turned to the pasta dish. It was all he said, but the tone made it so much more than just a phrase.

"Why 'lucky?' Although, I'll tell you, it was a heck of a lot better than the over the counter stuff!" she mock shuddered, even though his back was turned to her.

He turned back to her and returned her questioning gaze with one she liked to call the "Rodney look." It was when he was thinking, or very passionate about something, that he got that look in his eyes. Elizabeth felt a thrill run down her spine at being the subject of the look.

Reluctant to break the look, but feeling he had to, Rodney turned back to what passed as an Ancient stove. He couldn't let her in, not yet. Not to that part of his life so soon. He had seen her shudder, but it couldn't have been that bad because, while she was breathing harder than normal, it wasn't out of fear or disgust. Rather, she had had a smile playing around her mouth.

"Right, food," he began, whirling around to find the plates, "If I do say so myself, it is a wonderful thing. Then again, I am hypoglycemic, so food is a very good friend of mine."

"It's a mystery how you stay so fit with everything you eat," Elizabeth commented, watching as a very nice blush spread across the back of his neck.

"Yeah, well, y'know, running from the Wraith burns calories better than any diet," he smiled, rubbing his neck.

"Yeah, I can imagine," Elizabeth replied, smiling a bit as they fell into a comfortable rhythm once again.

"Want some wine? It's Athosian," Rodney asked, holding two glasses and a jar. Her eyes narrowed somewhat, but her jovial smile held, "Yes please, but first, tell me how you got that."

"I promised not to tell, but, for you….John apparently talked Teyla into bringing some back for us."

"Oh, really?" Elizabeth's tone held a good-natured slyness, "Well, I'll have some now. Thank you."

'And thank you John,' she silently added, as he filled her glass.

"Ahhh," Rodney settled into his chair, taking a sip of his wine. After serving Elizabeth the pasta-like dish, he sat back, tucking into his own food and studied the woman across from him.

'Wow,' he thought, 'she really said yes; this is really happening. She's always so….so poised, so graceful, and so beautiful. She's extremely gorgeous tonight! How does she always look that good? I wonder how she would look in- No! Bad thoughts!' he stopped his thought process there, as he always did when she was around. At night, however, alone in his bed, dreams crept up.

"So, how'd you think John's doing with Jessalyn?" he asked, smirking a bit, still mirthful, and if truth be told, a little jealous, of John having a child to take care of.

"I think that as long as Teyla's in charge, they'll survive the night," Elizabeth teased, beaming at the man in front of her. Being a "strong, female leader", she had somewhat of a "girl-power" streak.

"Ahh, I forgot!" Rodney exclaimed, jumping up. He scooped up a box of matches and two candles. "There we go. A little ambiance"

"Oh, that is nice," she commented, staring not at the candles, but at Rodney through the flames and smoke.

They talked about small things: the weather, the state of "affairs" through out the city, and other such trivial matters. The window showed the progress from day to sunset to striking stars and smooth water under the large moon.

"That was excellent!" Elizabeth commented, as she sat back in her chair.

"Yeah, well, I used to be one of the cooks in my family. A very good one, in fact," Rodney had become his usual self, with a slight change in how he said her name from professionally to personally. "More wine?" he offered her the bottle, "I believe it is highly praised and would recommend this fine….cabernet," he continued in an Italian accent-to the best of his abilities anyways-and was rewarded with Elizabeth's pleased laugh.

"Why, zen, if you say it is so vonderful, zen I must try some!" Elizabeth tried her hand at an accent and succeeded far better than Rodney had.

"Wow," Elizabeth sighed, standing on the balcony while he was cleaning up.

"'Wow' what?" Rodney joined her, bringing their refilled glasses of wine.

"Even after all this time, I still find it hard to believe we're really here! At the lost city of Atlantis! Who knew that we would find it in another galaxy?"

"Yeah, it's very surreal still."

"And with such a frightening adversary as the Wraith? I mean, creatures who suck your life out with their hands? How many people back home would think that we were either lying or senile?"

"Elizabeth," Rodney began, clearing his throat to get her full attention, "As much as I love listening to you talk, I want to break in with something completely off-topic; so far out there, in fact, that it has _no _bearing on this conversation whatsoever and-"

"Rodney," Elizabeth pronounced his name in such a manner that made him love those two syllables more than ever before.

"Well, _this_," he gestured between himself and the woman he had turned to so earnestly. "If we are really doing this….we are really doing this, right? Yeah, ok, well, I want you to know that I'm all in. All of me, all the way in."

Elizabeth once again found herself mesmerized by his passion, and his single-minded track. Did he really doubt they were doing it? She locked eyes with him; his pleading her to understand and say something, anything. She nodded slightly, eyes riveted, and once again felt his 'Rodney gaze' piercing her defenses.

"I am too," she said, once she could finally speak. She was a diplomat, a speaker, so why was she finding it so hard to say what she'd been dying to say for a long time? "I've wanted this, Rodney. Ever since that fateful day in Antarctica, I've felt something."

Rodney set his wine glass down, and then turned to face her fully. The moon cast a wonderful glow on both their faces; his earnest, hers full of pure bliss. He lent down over to her, their lips a few centimeters apart.

"Dr. Weir," the two looked around, then Elizabeth remembered bringing her radio; she had stuffed it into her pocket. She groaned softly, don't they ever listen? She had given specific instructions that only if Atlantis were sinking again-or anything that drastic-would she be contacted. "Dr. Weir," the floating voice said again, a little more urgently. She looked apologetically into Rodney's eyes; he knew she had responsibilities-after all, she _was_ the commander of Atlantis.

"This is Weir," she sighed reluctantly into the radio.

"Sorry to bother you, ma'am, but it's Ford. He's awake and wants to see you."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

They walked slowly, hands clasped together. They were broadcasting, but Rodney had figured that between John and Kavanagh the city knew already. He had agreed to go with her to the infirmary on the condition that afterwards, they would go back to his quarters and have more wine and/or coffee.

"Ma'am," Aiden Ford sounded tired, "And Doc. McKay. Hey."

"Ford? What's happened, as far as you know?"

"Well, actually ma'am, I was hoping you could tell me. The last thing I remember is being taken by the Wraith for questioning, torture, one of those. Then, I woke up with the Doc. checking my stats and stuff."

"Oh?" was all Elizabeth said, in a slightly doubtful, slightly hopeful way.

"Well, for one thing, you almost shot me!" Rodney put in and was rewarded with a 'Don't go there' warning look from Elizabeth.

"I did?"

"As far as I can tell," she began, "While you were on the planet, you were taken over the Wraith somehow. You almost killed three people in the control room and I don't know how many were hurt altogether."

"What!" Ford looked shocked and not a little scared. "I did that?"

"Yes. I'm sorry to be the first to tell you, but I figured it'd be better to tell you myself than to let you find out…somehow."

"Thanks ma'am. When will I be let out of here and able to go back on duty?"

"Well, I might have to keep you here for a little while, Lieutenant." Elizabeth looked apologetic.

C'mon! I don't think I have it in me still!"

"We don't know that for sure! I'm sorry, Lieutenant, that's my call. I'm truly sorry. Carson?" she called to the doctor lurking around the corner.

"Ye'?" he came around the curtain.

"Can you tell me approximately how long till you can release him?"

"Well, he's healing faster than normal, but he's still got a few bruises to get over. Other than that, he's right as rain." Elizabeth felt somewhat reassured by the deep Scottish rumble until the words set in.

'Healing faster than normal?' she thought worriedly, 'that's not right.'

"Well, please tell me when he's all healed up. Thank you. Feel better, Ford. Once we make sure you're not a threat, I'll put you back on duty. Until that time, however, you'll have to sit tight in here. Goodbye you two." And trying so hard not to look back, Elizabeth strode out of the room, Rodney close beside.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Rodney and Elizabeth sat with coffee in their hands, both lost in their own worlds of thought.

Elizabeth surreptiously studied the man sitting across from her over the rim of her mug. Rodney seemed to be thinking deeply about something; his brow was creased, his eyes shone with intelligence as his mind grappled with the problem it was encountering. Besides wondering what he could possibly be trying to figure out, her mind was completely devoid of thought.

"Elizabeth," she came out of her dreamy state, coming face to face with a very intense pair of eyes.

"Yes?" she tried to keep herself calm by taking a sip of her coffee. 'Although,' she thought ironically, 'coffee's supposed to wake you up, not the opposite.'

"Our situation is unique, although not unheard of. Even Colonel Carter and Gen. O'Neill managed to be in love against the regs. for almost 8 years,' Rodney chuckled to himself, wondering how the blond bombshell and her 'Arthur Miller' were doing.

"'Our situation?'" Elizabeth half-mocked.

"Yeah. _This_," he gestured with his almost empty coffee mug to the space between them.

"I'm head of the expedition, yes, I'm aware of that, but seriously Rodney, that's not an extenuating circumstance, no more than-"

She was cut off by his lips on hers, his right hand on her cheek. The feelings that rushed forth were even stronger than the first time. The first kiss had been slightly hesitant; now he knew what he was doing. Elizabeth pulled back slightly, albeit reluctantly. She was breathing heavily, not necessarily from the kiss but from the feelings the kiss had elicited; the feelings she had feared and tried to push down. She looked into his eyes that were a brighter oceanic blue than ever before. Hers begged the question: 'Are we really doing this?'

This was it, his last chance to back out, to bail on her. He couldn't; not that he would want to. He'd known enough women who had left him to know that that wasn't what he wanted to be like. He couldn't and wouldn't do that to her. She was different; she was special. Looking into her eyes sparked with love and hope, he made up his min d, once and for all.

"Yeah," he breathed, nodding, "Let's do it." She sighed contentedly, resting her forehead against his.

"Good."

"So," he began, swallowing any fear or anxiety left in him and smirking in his normal manner, "Where were we?"

Elizabeth hit him playfully on the arm.

* * *

A/N: Review please! Flames will be used to kill Kolya...mwahahaha! J/k 


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've been working on other things. This chapter is a lot of romance stuff and Ford stuff.

* * *

John and Teyla were still awake, even though it was quite late. The fire was low and still warm, casting dancing shadows on their faces. Teyla stroked the tiny head on her lap, knowing how exhausted the child was. John was staring sidelong at the two of them; the two girls he cared most about, though he would never admit it. Ever since the knowledge had come about that Jessalyn was his daughter in another version of his life, he had felt an inexplicable care for her safety. Probably his paternal instinct kicking in.

Teyla felt his gaze and secretly smiled. John was one of the few men she felt comfortable around and accepted by. The others were Drs. McKay and Beckett. Previously, there had also been Lieutenant Ford. But John was the only man she felt purely _safe _with. As long as he was there, she would be fine; If she were to be wrapped in his arms, nothing could hurt her. She could tell John liked her; he liked her a lot, actually. She had known and tried to dissuade him from it. As handsome and charming as he was, he had still been a stranger. He had attempted to charm her into trusting him by bring open and honest. He had said that he liked Ferris wheels and football, if she remembered correctly.

"So," came the throaty voice, "Is she asleep?"

"Yes, I believe she is." Teyla replied.

"Good, good," John smiled wickedly. "C'mere for a minute."

Jessalyn awoke with sun jumping around the room. She smiled slowly at the scene before her: John holding Teyla and both of them asleep. Deciding to not wake them, she tried to get up from her position on the floor quietly. A floorboard creaked; she cringed, glancing over her shoulder to make sure she didn't disturb them. 'Mmm, breakfast. Where's the kitchen?'

XOXOXOXOXOXO 

Elizabeth sat next to Rodney on the couch in his room. She was snuggled up to him, her legs folded to the side, wrapped in his arms.

He had always stood at her side, professionally; close enough to see every thought flitting across her face, to take in her fragrance of coffee and lavender. Tonight, he wasn't sure if his senses were distorted, but her sweet scent was more intoxicating than ever before. He had to make sure not to breathe too deeply for fear of becoming overwhelmed with feelings sometimes described as lust.

"So tell me," Elizabeth began, in a voice husky with drowsiness, "Tell me what it's like in Canada. I've only been there for a conference."

"Canada," Rodney thought of his homeland, "Is a very nice place. If, of course, you didn't grow up with my family. I didn't have the best childhood, so I turned to music."

"Music?" she asked, tiredly. Being that she was almost asleep, the extent of her thought was, 'Man, he has a great voice. Very sexy.'

"Yeah, the piano."

"Mmm?" was the noncommittal reply.

"Yeah, I quit because my parents and instructor didn't think I could play well."

"Mmm," this time, it was sympathetic.

"Hey, just a question, do you miss Earth? Or, more specifically, anyone in particular?" Rodney asked, tentatively, somewhat fearing the answer. There was silence and he moved to wake the woman next to him then thought better of it. She seemed so peaceful.

"No," came the soft voice, almost a moan, bringing a sweet smile to his lips.

They stayed like that for how long, Rodney didn't know; it seemed eternal. Elizabeth was positioned so that she was leaning against his chest, which made his pulse race and yet felt so natural. His arms were clasped loosely around her; he could feel her chest rising and falling in a soft, slow rhythm.

He must have fallen asleep, for the next thing he knew was Elizabeth shifting slightly in his arms. Light was streaming in through the windows. 'It almost looks like home,' he thought. Loud laughter echoed through the corridor and infiltrated into the room. Someone knocked on the door, calling boisterously for Rodney to let them in.

"It's John," Rodney told her softly, "Come on in!"

"Auntie Elizabeth! Uncle Rodney!" called Jessalyn, almost flying into the room. "Hi!" She bounced onto the other end of the couch, staring excitedly at the two of them.

"You two look comfortable," John remarked, smirking slyly at his friends.

"Good morning to you too!" Rodney snapped, back to his old self again. The self that hadn't slept enough and hadn't had coffee yet. He didn't want to show the secret soft side to John just yet. As a barrier, he became grumpy, grouchy and just unpleasant to be around.

"Hey, how was the trip?" Elizabeth asked, trying not to show just how comfortable she really was.

"It was very….enjoyable," Teyla answered kindly, still struggling with the language. She was also trying not to give away how much she had liked it.

"_Very_ enjoyable," John interjected. Elizabeth shot him a 'don't-go-there' look and he had the grace to look embarrassed. Jessalyn giggled at her (sort of) father's behavior.

"What happened here?" John had obviously gotten over his embarrassment very quickly, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, mouth twitching in amusement.

"Ford remembers nothing, or so he claims," Rodney answered skeptically, deciding to ignore the innuendo behind John's comment.

"Really?" John asked, losing his entire joking manner, "He's awake?"

"Yeah, Carson'll probably let you see him if you want to."

"Yeah, I guess I should. Hey," he squatted next to Jessalyn, "Do ya wanna stay here with Eli- _Aunt_ Elizabeth and _Uncle_ Rodney or come with me? Actually, maybe you should stay here, if that's ok with you?" he addressed the cozy couple on the couch.

"Yes," Elizabeth answered as Rodney drew breath to protest, "that would be lovely."

"Lovely?" Rodney snorted under his breath; Elizabeth elbowed him, hard, much to the delight of Jessalyn.

"John?" she asked, once she had gotten her sniggers under control, "Can I call you dad yet?" John stared speechless, which was a weird thing for him. He decided to do the right thing and not disappoint her.

"Sure," his voice was soft and husky with emotion. The usual clear, chocolate eyes were full of conflicting sentiments, but they still held the usual good humor of this happy-go-lucky man.

"Uh, Teyla," John cleared his throat, "Y'wanna come with me to see Ford? I'd love to have some company."

"I will go with you." She consented with a nod.

"So, let's go, shall we? Bye, you two. See ya, Jessalyn."

"Bye John, Teyla." Elizabeth called to the two retreating figures.

"Story time!" cried Jessalyn, jumping on the couch like a very excited puppy.

"Ok, what do you want to hear?" Elizabeth inquired.

"How the two of you met," she stated with a smirk uncannily like her father's.

"Oh, what a story," Elizabeth teased. "Well, it all started one fateful day in Antarctica. We were setting up the base and he was trying to figure out some obscure problem or another. I walked in on him _'strongly disagreeing'_ with Dr. Zelenka. I didn't really want to interrupt, they were having so much fun, but I did anyways. What was it that you said to me?" she turned to Rodney, who was looking embarrassed at having to relieve the humiliating ordeal.

"Uh, I think it was something to the effect of 'Go away-I'm working and don't want to deal with you.'" He cringed a bit as he said it.

"Yes, that was it. Then, he saw Zelenka's reaction as to who I was and turned around," she smiled wickedly at the memory, "The look on his face was priceless! He said to me, 'Hello. And you are….?' When I told him, he actually had the grace to look embarrassed. And, he actually stayed silent for, oh, I don't know, two minutes? Can you believe that?" Elizabeth feigned shock while grinning widely at his indignant face.

"Yes, well, I had just screamed at the leader of this expedition. My _female _commanding officer," he stressed the word. He continued on, defensively, "And I was very pleasant after that. I showed you around and everything; whereas Radek just stood and stared at you."

"Rodney!" Elizabeth admonished, looking scandalized.

"Well he did! He always does. That's all he does: sit and stare. It's understandable but odd. I mean, he makes it a bit_ too_ obvious, if ya see what I'm sayin'. Even for people who aren't as brilliant as I am," he mocked. She rolled her eyes then laughed, slapping him playfully on the arm.

"Hey, hey!" Rodney held up his hands to fend off her blows. It was rather difficult seeing that she had stood up and he was still sitting. He finally got a hold of one of her wrists and twisted her in such a way that she collapsed onto his lap. They stayed that was for a minute; just staring at each other and the position they were in. She was warm to his touch and that warmth sent…_something_ coursing through him, as good as any coffee buzz he had ever had.

"Awww!" the two turned to Jessalyn, "Look, the two lovebirds!" she cackled, sounding very much like John.

"Rodney!" Elizabeth finally found her vocal cords, "I am a _lady_; you do not treat a lady in such a way!"

"Since when is it my fault?" he played along, "_You_ were hitting _me_! You started it!"

"Oh!" she exclaimed, suddenly seeing what time it was, "I need to send AR-3 out in a little while. We better go!"

"Oh, right! Let's go; Jessalyn, ya ready?" Rodney was already in his room, changing into his other short-sleeve blue shirt. "Elizabeth? What about you?" he came out in a new shirt, his hair a little mussed.

"No, I'll be fine, I guess. Thanks, though. Let's get going."

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Jessalyn skipped ahead, often turning back to grimace at her Aunt and Uncle, complaining that they were too slow. Leading the way to the gateroom, she nearly ran into a very agitated Kavanagh. She looked up and grimaced in a menacing way; she loved to torment this really annoying man.

"You almost ran me over!" he cried; he was escorting a young Athosian boy around her age. Turning on the charm and flipping her chocolate brown hair, she sauntered up to the boy, completely ignoring the shouting old man.

"Hey," she drawled, her eyes the same color of her hair lighting up, "I'm Jessalyn. What's your name?"

"Hello. I am Kenti," he scanned her face, " You are very pretty and remind me pf someone I know." Kenti bit his lip, thinking hard, "Possibly Teyla Emmagen."

"You know Teyla?" surprise showed on her face.

"Yes, of course. She is my people's leader."

"Ahhh," was all Jessalyn said; a smile growing on her radiant face.

"Your _kid_," Kavanagh pronounced the word with absolute distaste, "Nearly ran me over. I have to get down to the labs, as do you, McKay. So if you'll excuse me…."

"Come on," Elizabeth said to Jessalyn, who was talking animatedly to Kenti, and Rodney, who was staring after Kavanagh with such loathing. "Let's go to the gateroom."

"Lead on, MacDuff!" Jessalyn cried, having been pried away from Kenti.

"Now _that _she got from John," Rodney grimaced as Elizabeth grinned.

AR-3 was waiting for the ok to go. The minute Elizabeth walked in, she changed from playful to professional. Rodney struggle hard to follow suit, his mind wandering to random thoughts about life and love in general. He tried to pull himself back to what the other team's mission was.

"….Good luck." Elizabeth finished with her standard phrase and a warm smile. The gate engaged; the figures stepped through, none showing any hesitation or fear at all.

"Dr. Weir," Lt. Taittinger called from the control room balcony as the gate shut down, "Dr. Beckett needs you and Dr. McKay in the infirmary. He says it's urgent."

XOXOXOXOXOXO 

"Carson!" Elizabeth cried softly, "Where are you?"

"'Ere, love. There you are, and Rodney _and _Jessalyn. Good." The Scot sounded distracted.

"What happened?" Rodney asked, more concerned for his ragged-looking doctor than for anything else right then.

"It's Ford" was all the gooddoctor said, but it was enough.

Rodney, Elizabeth, and Jessalyn followed the troubled doctor to the room especially for people deemed "special cases." There they saw the man who had once been Lieutenant Aiden Ford. No longer was there the young man with exuberance and good health; in his place, there lay a skeletal, sedated shell being watched by two doctors and several guards.

"Oh, Aiden," Elizabeth whispered, already feeling the loss of a good man and a good friend. "Carson, what exactly happened?"

"Well," he started, "After you two left, he drifted back to sleep. A few hours after that, he woke up and went crazy again. We 'ad to sedate 'im," he sighed.

"Did he say anything specific?" Rodney asked, quickly becoming his analytical self, trying to figure out what and why.

"Well, he said some things about taking over the planet, the galaxy, but I can only assume that's the Wraith speaking?" Carson pronounced the last as a question rather than a statement.

"Yes, assume," Rodney replied distractedly. Carson knew his friend well enough that when Rodney spoke in two word sentences, he was thinking and not to be disturbed or he got angry. "But how? Makes no sense. Radek?" Rodney tapped his earpiece.

"Yes?" came the heavy accent.

"What do we know about the Wraith's ability to control people? Besides Teyla's thing."

"Ford? Well, we do know that they have a very advanced technology, very much like the Goa'uld, but, other than that….." Zelenka left the sentence open.

"No documents, artifacts, anything? 'K, I'm going down to the labs. Meet me there in oh, say, 15 minutes?"

"Rodney. I do not believe we have any-"

"Meet me there," Rodney finalized, edge creeping into his voice. He didn't like being contradicted at all, but especially where his friends were concerned. "Thanks Carson," he looked the tried man in the eye and that look said more than Rodney could ever vocally express. After all, he had a reputation to maintain.

"Thank you, you've done so much. Go get some rest," Elizabeth said softly, "We can't have our main doctor being sick." They grinned at each other, Carson nodding slightly to her "order".

"Hey," he looked down at the girl at his feet, "If it makes you feel any better, I find you quite dishy," she actually had the audacity to wink at him and laugh hysterically. "You should see the look on your face!" she squealed.

"How old are ye, darlin'"

"9 and a half years old," Jessalyn answered proudly.

"Well then, shouldn't you be concentrating on someone your own age?" he winked, "Not that I mind, o' course."

"I am. Kenti is my almost boyfriend. But I like your voice. And your eyes_. And_ you have a very pretty smile," she grinned almost wolfishly.

"Aren't you a cheeky little thing? Thank you, but I think you need to leave." He nodded to Rodney and Elizabeth, who were standing by the door, speaking in low tones.

"Nope," to his raised eyebrows, she added, "I'm here as long as you want." Carson coughed gently,

"I'm not sure where you got that from. I do think you need to leave, though. Not that I want you to, " he added hastily at her tearful expression, "But your escorts are leaving."

"Oh, okay. Bye-bye Carson." She hugged him fiercely.

"Oh. Bye darlin'. See you later," he gazed almost wistfully after the group

* * *

Ok, so that was it. The usual: please review but no flames, please. 


	6. Chapter 6

Hope you guys like this chapter and be prepared for a few surprises. I know you're asking yourself,how many more surprises can there be? Well, my friend, you shall see. I shall nowstop rambling and let you read. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

"There you are!" The excited Czech cried, "I have been waiting fo-" 

"Yes, sorry. Anything?" Rodney cut in anxiously.

"Well, actually, I did find something, about a minute after you called. It's something we overlooked and I believe it could help you significantly." He led them over to his desk, in stark contrast to Rodney's which was overflowing with papers and coffee rings. There was a microscope set up with some old manuscripts next to it.

"Have a look at this," Zelenka lifted the laptop cover proudly to reveal some sort of cell magnified to fill the screen.

"Okay. And….?" Rodney gestured for Zelenka to elaborate.

"It is a cell from Ford's temple. Since he's not actually dead yet, we can't do an autopsy so we can't take directly from his brain. This is as close as we could come. But it is still disturbing enough."

"Okay, now we're getting somewhere," the other scientist nodded his head and studied the picture.

"Now," Zelenka flipped open one of the ancient looking manuscripts. He tapped the page, covered in scribbles of a very different language, "Compare it to _this. _This manuscript we found was left by the Ancients, or so we believe. It is a textbook of sorts. Kind of science and history combined."

"Amazing," Elizabeth breathed, looking at it with such reverence as if she were looking at the Book of Kells.

"This paragraph here," Zelenka pointed, "This describes that there is a disease that makes the brain cells the same as they are in Ford's. I do not know what it is; I have not been able to translate that far. But, what worries me is how it got from his brain to his temple. This I do not know either. But I do believe it is the same thing."

"Great. Just a question, but…how do we know it's the same?" Rodney peered more closely at the book, though he couldn't read a bit of it.

"Well, in this section here, the writer describes a man who came in close contact with the Wraith for a long period of time and displayed the same symptoms. That picture," he tapped the page again to emphasis his point, "Is of _his_ brain cell."

"Good, good. And how will this, oh, what was the phrase, oh yes, _help me significantly?" _Rodney folded his arms, snarking at his friend. Not at all fazed by his tone, Zelenka continued,

"Because on the next page, there is a method they used to combat this man's outbursts. Although," he added, pushing his glasses up his nose, "It only worked half the time. It was a kind of hit-or-miss thing."

"Okay, let's get cracking, then." Rodney rubbed his hands together, addressing the other scientists in the room, "All we have to do now is figure out what the method is and how to use it. Sound easy?" he waited until the people had nodded understandingly, "Well, it's not gonna be. So, let's get to work."

"Uh, Dr. McKay?" one of the scientists raised a hand, "How do we know whether it'll work or not? And, uh, also," she swallowed nervously, "Where do we start?" she held her breath, drawing back and waiting for the tirade to begin.

He drew breath to go about yelling when Elizabeth lightly touched his arm, as if warning him not to. He turned to her and saw the woman he first had. Standing there so calm and peaceful while his blood pressure lowered and his heart rate rose. He let his unconsciously held breath go and turned to the waiting and disbelieving group.

'God, she really does have a hold on me, doesn't she?' he thought, amused at the prospect of Rodney McKay being held "captive" by a beautiful woman, though it wouldn't be the first time. He drew a steadying breath and tried his hand at being calm.

"With the manuscripts," he said condescendingly; the group went to work. He turned to Radek, shaking his head with a slight sigh. Zelenka gave him an amused, sympathetic look. Neither man saw the jealousy in the eyes of one female scientist.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

"Dr. McKay? Wait up!" a young woman from the lab jogged up beside him.

"Oh, hello, Dr…?"

"Taylor." She grinned briefly, "Janus Taylor." Rodney looked up sharply,

"Janus? The Roman god of doorways?" She shrugged.

"Yeah. My mum was massively into Roman history. I grew up knowing who built the Coliseum and why, but not who was in Duran Duran. I know, sad, huh?"

"They were actually quite good, but, yeah. What do you need me for?" They turned to squeeze past a couple of military men, when she whispered,

"A lot of things."

"Hmm? What was that?" they were standing in the open hallway, with Rodney being his usual clueless self.

She flushed a little, "Well, Dr. Presscott and I needed some help translating this one bit. We wondered if you could help us."

"There are a bunch of people who could help you. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm needed for more important things." He didn't notice as the flush was replaced by a look of anger at his brush-off of her offer. What he did notice was Elizabeth coming up the hall with Jessalyn.

"Hey," she said, looking from an offended Janus to Rodney, "Dr. Taylor. Found a cure, have we?" she joked.

"Not yet," Janus replied stiffly, "Although, I do believe we're getting closer. How are you?"

"I'm okay. And you? Rodney's not working you long hours is he?"

"No, he's not. I'm good. Although, I must say, I will be better once Dr. McKay here agrees to actually help us." She looked down suddenly to where Jessalyn was standing, "And you are the infamous Jessalyn, I presume? Hey there, sweetie. Oh, she's_ soo_ cute!" Jessalyn could sense immediately that it was an act and shot her a "back off!" look.

'If looks could kill…" Janus thought bitterly.

"Well, I need to go and figure that passage out. Perhaps Presscott and I can get it on our own," she shot Rodney a look, "See y'all."

"Bye, Janus," Jessalyn piped cheerfully, "So…lunch?"

XOXOXOXOXOXO 

Later, after all the meetings and craziness, Elizabeth was sitting, writing, in her room. She started at the knocking at her door; her ink smudged as her hand jerked, puzzled at who could be calling at this hour.

"Elizabeth? You in here?" came the muffled voice which, if slightly distorted, was easily identifiable as John's.

"John? Come on in…" the door slid open to reveal a disgruntled John Sheppard.

"Hey….Sorry to disturb you, but I have a question." He looked around her quarters, taking in the neatness of the place.

"Sure…what's wrong?" She closed the book she had been writing in and turned to face him.

"What was that?" he gestured to the book thrown carelessly onto her chair.

"Nothing; you're avoiding telling me why you're here." As he moved to grab her book, she dived for it, reaching it just before he did. She stood, holding the book close, and, with as much dignity as she could muster, brushed a lock of hair off her face and turned to him again.

"So…." he smirked and crossed his arms, leaning casually against the wall, "What's that? A notebook, love letters, or perhaps…a _diary_." Elizabeth flushed slightly at his assumptions.

"What did you need to talk about" Elizabeth used her finalizing tone.

John was still grinning, but acquiesced

"I wanted to ask you about our upcoming mission. Teyla and I are ready to go, but I'm not so sure about McKay. He seems, um, _obsessed,_ for lack of a better term, with finding this cure. Now, you know how I was friends with Ford; I care about his life, too. But, a little time off wouldn't be a bad thing, right? This is just standard recon; supposedly a peaceful_, boring_, planet."

"Why are you telling me and not him?"

"Well, I wanted to run it by you first. And, secondly, you could convince him better than I could. So, what d'ya think?"

"What makes you think I could convince him better than a guy like yourself?"

"Well, guys don't give each other advice. And…well, y'know…." He left the sentence open.

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, "So, you think that because I'm in a relationship with him, I can persuade him to do things? I appreciate the comment, but you know him as well as I do. He's very stubborn at times, especially when he's close to figuring something out, you know this."

"So you're saying you won't-"

_"Can't_," she interjected firmly.

_"Can't_ do it?"

"He probably won't even listen to me if I do try," she sat down on the big, plush chair.

John ran a hand through his permanent bed-head hair, and sat down opposite her.

"You can do this. He listens to you; well, more so than he does to Teyla or myself. And c'mon," John added, "This is for his_ health_. No, I didn't get it straight from Beckett, but I'm sure the Doc would say the same."

"Why don't we ask Carson first, okay?"

"Then you'll do it?"

"Let's see if it's absolutely necessary, then maybe I'll help." John looked victorious. He stood, shoving his hands in the pockets of his slouchy jeans.

"Thanks. And remember, this is for all our sakes; also so that he's not murdered by Kavanagh or one of the other science geeks_-guys_. The science guys; Geez, kinda reminds me of Bill Nye." Elizabeth laughed, escorting him to the door. "Get some sleep and hide that diary better." He added, teasingly.

"Will do. 'Night, John." She watched his retreating figure. When she had first arrived it had been John's face, not to mention body and humor, she had been dreaming of. That, combined with Rodney's eyes, intelligence and personality, made the perfect man in her world. Also with Simon's ability to cook. Simon…her mind flitted through the last time she had seen him. That wonderful breakfast, romantically walking barefoot on the beach afterwards…..

She returned to the chair and dropped in it, rubbing her hands over her face to clear her mind. Simon. No, she couldn't think of him. Not now. She was in a relationship with a sweet man who cared for her and whom she cared for as well. It was all new and fresh and exciting, being in the first stages. And yet, she felt as though she had known Rodney for a long time already.

She had loved Simon; loved him with all of her heart. But she had felt as though it were all too safe…too boring. She was all for feeling safe, protected, those feelings. But it had fallen into the danger of becoming too monotonous. Real relationships were not supposed to feel like that. Daily life, certainly. But not true romances. Not even in those trashy romance novels she had a weakness for, did that happen.

Elizabeth sighed and picked her journal back up again. She reached for her secret stash of various candies, chocolates, and alcohols. She really needed chocolate right now.

She didn't know how much time had passed though it went from light to twilight to dark. She had just finished Wuthering Heights for the fifth time and was ready to go out and look at the stars when there was another knock.

"Come," she said, standing and stretching.

"Hey," Rodney stood in the doorway, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Guess what?" Not waiting for her response, he continued, "We're getting closer. We've translated most of it and have discovered that-"

"Rodney," Elizabeth chuckled, "Would you like to come in?"

"Oh, yeah, thanks. Well, where was I—oh, yeah, so we've discovered that we can actually use some of Carson's medical tools and actually can do it to Ford. Once I figure out how it works and if it'll kill him or not, of course."

"That's great. You've done a wonderful job; although, you've practically killed yourself trying to figure it out, but that's great."

"What? Uh, okay, but the point is that once we have figured out some technicalities, we will possibly have Ford back and I can stop working on this thing!"

"Rodney, d'you want to see something incredible?" Rodney thought he already was.

"Sure." Her face lighting up like a child's on Easter morning, Elizabeth took his hand and tugged him along.

"C'mere. Look at this." She dragged him to her balcony. Looking up, he saw the most extraordinary sight: stars bigger and brighter than the ones back on Earth; two moons each the size of Jupiter and twice as beautiful: they were bright silver. And a trail of stars leading on into the night.

"Wow. Talk about second star on the right and straight on 'till morning."

"Peter Pan." She said, looking at him and he shrugged,

"I read."

"Yes." Turning back to the stars, she continued, "Isn't it amazing?"

"Yes it is."

They stood in silence for a little while, taking in the night.

"Rodney," she turned to him, his blue eyes reflecting the stars and planets and shimmering water.

"Mmm?" he looked at her quizzically, waiting for her to continue.

"I'm glad we're here."

"Here? On your balcony?"

"No, here on Atlantis."

"So am I. Uh, there's something I should probably tell you…." Elizabeth waited for him to continue. When he didn't, she prompted:

"Yes?" He shuffled his feet as if uncomfortable with the situation.

"Well, John and Teyla just found out and just filled me in on it. See, on the mainland, the Athosians are having some sort of ceremony for uh, well, for the two of them. Any minute now, you should be getting a message-"

As if on cue, Elizabeth's radio went off:

"Elizabeth? You there?" It was John's excited voice. She reached in and pulled it out, puzzled.

"Yes?"

"I'm assuming you've heard, but I'll tell you anyway. Teyla's pregnant!"

* * *

So, there it is. Yes, mes copains, there it is. So,as usual, press that little button to review. Be nice please. And come back soon for the next chapter. 


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Sorry it's taken me awhile to post these last few chapters and thanks for your patience. I know this one is short, but trust me, it will become more interesting next chappie.

* * *

Elizabeth stood, shocked, and unable to use those little things called her vocal cords. However, she soon, once again, was able to speak, "Really?"

"Yeah. You didn't know? Yell at Rodney for a little bit for me, 'kay?"

"Sure. How'd you find out?" She had only assumed their relationship had started when hers and Rodney's had, but she could be wrong. Still, that was an alarmingly short amount of time…..

"Well, the Athosians have some sort of ultra-sound device-thingie and they can see right away. It's slightly unnerving but, hey…It's exciting!"

"Yes, it is! Congrats! How's Teyla holding up?"

"She's doing fine, actually. She's really happy. I expect by now Rodney's filled you in on the party?" Elizabeth looked up at Rodney, who was trying very hard to stare anywhere but at her.

"No, but he will soon."

"Good. Well, off to gloat to Kavanagh and Bates," she could hear the wink in his voice, "don't forget to spread the word. Night."

"Night," Elizabeth echoed and tapped off her earpiece, turning to Rodney.

"So, a party?" she prompted, crossing her arms and leaning against the balcony.

"Yeah, for Teyla and John. Mostly for Teyla, though. It's a kind of Jack and Jill baby shower _thing."_

"Oh, that's nice. I'm assuming there's gifts, drinks, cake and whatnot?"

"Yeah. And, it's also what we would call a 'black-tie affair.' Y'know, tuxes and gowns and such stuff."

"Lucky me, I brought my Oscar De La Renta just in case." Rodney glanced at her, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Yes, well, I prefer D+G myself," he teased, putting on a fake British accent. Not a very good one, but he was trying. Elizabeth raised her eyebrows teasingly.

"You know D+G? And other designers?" He feigned a hurt expression, not very convincingly.

"Of course. I had a psychotic, fashion-obsessed mother and she passed the gene on to my sister. And I….well, there were some days when I had nothing better to do than listen to them yammer on and on about this fashion thing and that and what a load of nonsense!" Elizabeth lowered one eyebrow, but kept the other raised amusedly.

"One of those things is a family trait." She grinned at his cute confusion and then understanding. Her grin faded, however, at the fleeting hurt puppy dog look on his face. He covered it up quickly, though, when he realized she had seen it. He laughed bitterly, sarcastically.

"Yes, I should've seen that coming." He turned back to the ocean, his old look of bitter distaste returning. She hadn't seen that look in a while; since they had gotten together, actually. Guilt flooded her like the horrible Storm had almost flooded Atlantis.

"Hey," she said softly, stepping up to him and putting her hand on his arm. He jerked slightly at the contact and she remembered that it was this arm had been split in half by Kolya during that same Storm. "I'm sorry; I was joking." He didn't respond, even with some snarky comment or another, which was totally of out character for him. "C'mon, let's go inside. It's cold out." He turned on his heel and strode to the warm interior, leaving her out in the cold, shocked. And saddened. And to complete her mood, it started to rain. _AND _she was wearing a white sweater. Muttering expletives under breath, she ran quickly inside. Rodney was sitting in her chair, looking at some book or another with a weird expression on his face. She could usually read him so well, but this…. "I'll be right out," she told him from her bedroom, changing into a comfy cami and her cords.

She took a deep steadying breath, wondering if she should put some more mascara on, hers was smudged, when she remembered that it was Rodney. This was a man who had seen her sopping wet, with no or little make-up on for an hour or more. Sighing, she made her way into the main "living area."

"Hey," she said, in what she hoped was a relatively calm voice. He looked up sharply and for a minute there was nothing but the calming, though slightly ominous, sound of the rain outside. Then he returned the greeting and a relived sigh fell from her lips. "So….whatcha looking at?" She strode over to him, puzzled at his guilty face.

"Uh, nothing." He hastily dropped the book he had been poring? over to the side, but not quickly enough. She grabbed it before it hit the floor and glanced at what she was holding. Her journal. She looked back at him quickly, barely registering his sheepish expression that she usually loved so much, then opened to a page that had been carelessly bent. She flushed as she read the entry for the day:

_Okay, I need a shot or something! Today has been….intriguing, to say the least. Things have been happening; inevitable things I couldn't stop if I tried. Not that I haven't tried, I really have, it's just too damn impossible. The Wraith are becoming more powerful and they've been further educated on our tactics. That effectively means harder to kill. Every day, more and more good people are dying under my command. And every day, it's getting harder and harder to send these people to their deaths. _

_Although, I do have some relatively good news. Well, sort of. Y'see, I overheard John and Rodney bickering; by chance, I assure you. While this in itself isn't new or remarkable, I did manage to hear some of their convo. John was saying something about, and I quote, Rodney's apparent attraction to me. Yup, me. So I now finally know it's not just me, but the question remains: What should I do about it? The answer also stays the same: Nothing. So, like I said, relatively. _

_I gotta sleep. I'm gonna need more than Stoli and a good night's sleep to deal with tomorrow. Trouble abounds._

_Lizzy. _

Elizabeth closed the book, rubbing her eyes. Why? Why her journal? Why not Pride and Prejudice or Wuthering Heights or even one those trashy romance novels she happened to smuggle into Atlantis? Any of those would be fine options. Just not her journal. Thank God he hadn't read one of the juicier entries. Crap. Her eyes flew open and locked on his, while her cheeks went up a few Crayola notches.

"Don't worry, I didn't read anything totally private. I just saw it lying there," he gestured to the space by her seat, "And it looked intriguing so I picked it up and-" Elizabeth held up a hand, looking affectionately down on the man seated in front of her. There was a slightly awkward silence as she put the journal down and walked over to the area that served as a kitchen.

"You want some hot chocolate or tea or something. I've got Swiss Mix. But no coffee for you." They smiled at each other appreciatively, enjoying the private joke. Their recent thing was that Rodney was way too hyper with coffee in him, he had vowed to _try_ and give up coffee. But only on nights when he was off, or when he didn't have to fix something important and save the galaxy.

They made small talk about which was better: Swiss Mix or the moss-colored Athosian kind which Rodney swore was not chocolate, but, in fact, the grasses and herbs native to Athos. The joking and laughing came to a slow stop as each sipped their drinks. Elizabeth watched Rodney as he stroked the rim of his mug with his thumb meditatively; Rodney watched as she stared out the window, into the dark, dark night, with the peaceful cascading water all around.

"So," he finally said, drawing the word out. Elizabeth knew better than to ask; she just sat, waiting for him to continue. "Are we okay?" He gestured between the two of them and then to where the journal lay, undisturbed by their chit-chat.

"Yeah, we're good."

* * *

Notes: Okay, next time on What Can Be Said: get ready for one heck of a party complete with drinking, drunken singing and...something else. Hopefully, it won't take me as long to get the next one up. Or you will all just have to suffer. Sorry. :-) Reviews are my chocolate, my oxygen, my coffee, so please give them to me. Thank you. 


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks for hanging in there for this next chappie. And now, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, chapter eight of What Can Be Said...The party:-D Have fun and enjoy the ride.

* * *

Days passed and the word of Teyla's pregnancy became a topic of great interest and speculation. There were some very scandalous theories that it was possibly not John's, though they had been seeing each other exclusively for a little while now. When these whispers were heard through the hallways, all four friends immediately tried to cover Jessalyn's ears. She, however, was slightly thrilled at the prospect of a baby sister or brother. Although, like any older sibling used to getting his/her way, she wasn't quite sure if she could share her parents with another person. The subject came about one lazy afternoon as the company was eating lunch in the commissary. Teyla had chosen to take hers in bed because she was having morning sickness and Jessalyn had volunteered to stay with her.

"Hey, what does Jessalyn think about all this?" Elizabeth asked John, in between bites of mashed potatoes. The guys looked up at her, then at each other, with expressions of equal confusion and hunger. Rodney shrugged, and continued to shovel bites of potato while John slowly swallowed looking thoughtful, as if pondering the meaning to the question.

"About what? The pregnancy? I think she's fine with it. Heck, more than fine. She can't wait. The girl is so excited for her little brother or sister." They were silent for another few minutes but, as usual with the group, it didn't last long. Elizabeth burst in again after a few moments of thought.

"Okay, I'm not a scientist and I'm not that knowledgeable about other realities and whatnot, but I was thinking,"

"Always a dangerous thing," Rodney muttered teasingly. Doing the best she could to ignore the comment, she continued on.

"I was remembering what she said to us one day. She was telling us that she was from another reality in which you and Teyla were married and were her parents. What if that child inside of Teyla _right now_ is her?" She looked to a meditating Rodney for back-up to her radical theory.

"I doubt that's it…" Rodney said, looking both thoughtful and uncertain. But Elizabeth would have no part in that; the more she thought of it, the surer she became. Call it maternal instinct or what have you, but she was positive that was it.

"Think about it. Why else would she tell us that if she didn't know it would happen? Or maybe, that's her purpose for being here." Rodney shook his head.

"No, no, no, I don't buy it. She told us because we basically forced her to. As for her purpose here? Who says she has to have a purpose? She is only nine or so, after all."

"Hey. She's my kid." John said forcefully, half-rising towards the Canadian. Rodney seemed very calm for having a very strong, very threatening man looming over him.

"Well, technically, she's not _yours_, she yours in another version of your life. But I know, I know…" He held up a hand as John opened his mouth to retort. "But you gotta admit, Elizabeth's idea does have some holes." He looked apologetically at Elizabeth, who raised an eyebrow as she often did when he objected in such a manner. "Anyways," he gulped, "You two ready for this party tonight?"

XOXOXOXOXOXO

"Rodney," Elizabeth said softly, opening her door later that evening. God was she nervous. Oh, but…Damn. He looked good. He wore a flattering black suit, ('Most likely cut on the bias,' her inner style maven crowed), with a light blue button down shirt underneath. That wonderful shirt brought his eyes out to a vivid ocean blue. And, to complete the look, he was smiling like an idiot and she loved it when he did that. It was so cute. In fact, most everything he did, she thought was so cute.

"Eli-Elizabeth. Hi." He stuttered nervously. She stepped out of the shadowy doorway into the light and, like a cartoon character, his eyes popped out of his head while his jaw hit the floor. She wore a dark green strapless floor length dress that set her eyes off perfectly, complete with a matching satin clutch. She was walking oddly and he faintly wondered if she had twisted her ankle, then caught a peek of her gorgeous, but impractical, silver stilettos and smiled to himself. Why women put themselves through that torture was one of those age old questions his old college buddy told him never to ask; he would only get into trouble.

"So, shall we get going?" She asked, looking fondly at Rodney, who was still in ogling mode. As she said that, his eyes trailed up the length of her body to hers and he promptly shut his mouth and put his eyes back in his head.

"Uh, sure." He held his arm out, chivalrously, "Pour vous, Madame."

'Oooh, French. Nice.' She thought as she locked her arm with his.

"Merci, monsieur. You ready for this party?" She asked as they walked down the hall, soaking up the appreciative, and sometimes jealous, gapes from passers-by heading for the party as well.

"Yeah. The question is: Is Teyla ready for us drunken Earthlings?" They stepped in; to the room, to the cheers and wolf-whistles, to the smiles and the stares, to the jumper.

"C'mon, let's go." Elizabeth murmured into his ear, smirking as she felt, rather than heard, him swallow, _hard._ "They're waiting for us on the mainland." He knew she was referring to the couple of honor.

She was already having fun; being only human, she enjoyed the attention, the dressing-up and feeling pretty. And being only a mortal woman, she enjoyed the feeling that, just by breathing gently into his ear, she could turn a man to Jell-O.

"Okay, let's go." They walked up to the open jumper, stepping in as dignified as they could. A sergeant met them, already seated and powering it up. The rest of the company followed suit, some poor souls having to stand in heels.

Excited babbling went 'round and 'round as people buzzed with anticipation to get out and to the party, to the alcohol. When they landed, Rodney and Elizabeth stepped out, coming face to face with the Athosian Halling and his son, Ginto.

"Halling, Ginto, how are you tonight?" Elizabeth inquired kindly.

"We are well. And yourselves?" Halling replied.

"We are fine as well. Wow," Elizabeth looking around the valley, taking in the sight of her friends and the decorations, and the delectable smells. "You did a wonderful thing, setting up this party."

"It is a tradition we honor always."

"Dr. Weir!" Teyla walked over, positively glowing. Whether with happiness or the pregnancy "glow", they couldn't be sure.

"Teyla! You look well. Do you feel okay?"

"I am well indeed. You look nice as well, Dr. Weir, Dr. McKay."

"You could start calling me Elizabeth if you wish, Teyla."

"Yeah. After all, we do on a regular basis. How're you doing?" John sauntered over, grinning at his friends.

"Not bad. You?" Rodney finally interjected himself into the conversation, leaving the women to talk by themselves.

"Pretty good m'self. So, finally come to join us, have you?"

"Yeah. Figured it was about time. How's the party going so far?"

"Not bad, actually. Want a drink?" John held out a glass full of a blue-ish liquid.

"Sure. It is alcohol, right? Not some randomly weird concoction? Ooh, hey, buffet table. Teyla…" He turned to her.

"Yes, Dr. McKay?"

"Is there any citrus, lemon to be specific, in the Athosian food?" John snickered and Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, looking amused, while Teyla just bobbed her head, a slightly impish shine in her eyes.

"Of course, Dr. McKay. Among my people, it is considered a delicacy." He looked as if the Grinch really had called off Christmas.

"What?" He practically screeched, "D'you know how bad this is? I am deathly allergic to citrus and, if all your food has it, I won't be able to eat! Oh, God," he moaned, patting his pockets dramatically, "I don't have any Powerbars with me either and WLL YOU PLEASE STOP LAUGHING? It's not funny," he ended, whining.

"Yes, it is, Dr. McKay," Teyla answered through her laughter, "I was not being serious. As far as I know, our dishes do not have this lemon you speak of. It is not native to Athos, therefore we do not use it."

"Oh, come on!" He looked around at every one of them," That's just not fair. Did you know?" He rounded on John who was snickering. The soon-to-be dad tried to look innocent, but his laughter gave him away.

"Okay, fine, yes. " The scientist glared at him, "But it was just so much fun!"

"John," Elizabeth put in, a mixture of warning and humored approval in her voice, "Be nice." He sighed dramatically, shrugging his shoulders, as if giving in to something he didn't want to do.

"Fine. If I must."

"Major Sheppard!" A deep Scottish accent broke across the crowd, "Would ye kindly come over here, lad?"

"Coming! You'll be okay?" He addressed Teyla, laying a tender hand on her face.

"John. I am only with Elizabeth and Rodney. I can defend myself, you know this. I believe I will be fine."

Alright. Coming, Carson!" He disappeared through the crowd of formal-clad friends.

"Anybody want some food?" Rodney asked, eyeing the buffet table. After getting the women's orders, he made his way through the crowd over to the table fairly creaking under the weight of all the food heaped upon it. He had barely gotten there when he heard a loud roar coming from behind him.

"BATES!" An accusing tone shouted. Cringing, Rodney turned, registering that voice. The scene before him made him long for a camera:

Major John Sheppard standing in the middle of a large crowd with his suit trousers down around his ankles, exposing his garish boxers with bright red lip prints and hearts, to the entire crowd. There was an astonished silence for all of ten seconds then the whole place went up in cheers, catcalls, and whistles.

"You go, Major!"

"Whoo! Is it just you or is it hot tonight!"

"Love the boxers! But thought you were more of a briefs man." Many people turned to Janus Taylor, who was smirking with delight.

"You pictured the Major in—Okay…..so do not want to go there." Her date—another military man—fumed, closing his eyes with a disgusted expression on his face. Janus just shrugged innocently, then turned to her friends and started giggling uncontrollably.

Rodney groaned, realizing that not only had everybody seen something that wasn't on the game plan—though he assumed some of the ladies didn't mind—but that he would have to _do_ something about it. He stood for about two seconds, torn between amusement and horrible embarrassment, but his conscience took over. And the fact that if he didn't do anything, Elizabeth would never speak to him again.

"Alright, nothing to see here! Go back to your food!" He sauntered up to the horror-stricken Major, taking his time, knowing that this particular moment would make for nice blackmail. "Come on, let's go."

"Where?" He whined.

"Your room, or tent, rather?"

"Yeah, right. This way. John pulled his pants up as high as his physicality would allow and led the way, head drooping.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"I can't believe it! The son of a b-"

"Major! Are you going to get dressed or just bemoan the fact that this happened to you? Trust me, it's a lot better than being pantsed at your prom, that's for sure." Rodney stood modestly outside the tent, mostly for the fact that he didn't want to ever see those boxers again, though he had a pair in his drawer on Atlantis.

'Note to self: burn boxers when get I get back,' he thought.

"But it's _my_ party!" John moaned, fixing his hair with the small mirror-and-comb that he kept in his back pocket always, "Well, technically, it's not _my_ party, it's _Teyla's_, but, still, why now? Okay, I'm ready, let's go." He walked out, this time wearing another pair of suit trousers, this time in a dark chocolate brown with a casual button-down of the same color.

"Uh, _shoes_, Major?" Rodney gestured to the man's bare feet.

"Right. I'll be back." After the man had been properly shod, they walked back to the campground, where smoke and a bright red light could be seen in the early evening darkness.

"Hey, nice timing. We were just about to break out the tetherball." Elizabeth commented. But now that John was back, it seemed unnecessary.

"Oh, wonderful. How nice of yo—Hey!" He caught sight of Jessalyn sparring with Kenti. Just as he figured that it was just friendly match, he saw her shove him to the ground and suddenly they were rolling all over the grass, huffing and puffing. "What the hell! _You_!" He ran over to separate them and pulled Kenti up by the back of his neck. "Don't you ever let me catch you doing that to my daughter again, y'hear!"

"Fine. We'll do it in secret in the work-out room." Jessalyn said sulkily, knowing how much it would make her father angry, but really, she didn't care.

"Jessalyn," He said warningly, with that scary look in his eyes and for the first time, she remembered what it was like to have her dad mad at her. She raised her hands in mock surrender.

"Okay, okay….fine!"

"John," Teyla came up behind him, holding a glass of whatever the drink was called, "Let the boy go."

"But…but he….Fine." He let go of Kenti and the boy tumbled to the ground in a heap of rumpled party clothes. He took a hold of the glass and took a big swig. "Why now?" He murmured, more to himself than anyone else. And suddenly, the clanking of glasses dominated the sounds of the party, and there was a chanting of, "Toast, toast, toast!" As the adults looked around distractedly, Jessalyn motioned for Kenti to follow her and, while nobody was looking, the two slunk away to the buffet table.

"They want a toast, you two," Elizabeth and Rodney appeared at the couple of honor's side.

"A….toast?" Teyla asked.

"Yeah, a way of expressing thanks, good wishes, yadda yadda," Rodney told her.

"Ah, then we must do this."

"Uh, yeah, okay, " John cleared his throat, holding up his glass, "I would first like to thank you all for coming here tonight and eating, drinking, and partying with us. We really appreciate it. I'd like to say thanks for the wonderful people who set this up. You guys are awesome! But most of all, I would like to toast to this breathtakingly fantastic woman, Teyla Emmagen! Give her a hand, ladies and gents!" The 'Earthlings' started clapping enthusiastically, while the Athosians stood, looking around at what these people were doing. Once the crowd had quieted a bit, John continued, "We're here for her; the woman who is not only carrying my child, but is also one of my best friends, along with these two," he gestured to Rodney and Elizabeth, both of whom were looking touched by his words, "Sorry, I'm not too good with this stuff. Oh, and remember: Life is a highway and I wanna ride it all night long! Cheers and good night!" He raised his glass, locking eyes with Teyla as the laughter echoed around the valley.

"So that is what a toast is," Teyla commented, her usually unreadable face filling with emotion.

"Yeah, that's a toast. Now onto the food and drinks!"

"This is good," Rodney said, slightly slurring his words.

"Oh, yeah….third glass already," John took a huge gulp, smiling in an inebriated fashion.

"Apparently, your people are not as used to our drink as we are," Teyla said, surveying the scene disapprovingly.

"No, we're not. Our alcohol is not as strong as yours," Elizabeth replied, taking small sips from her first glass.

"Moonshine's pretty strong," Rodney piped in, working on his second with much enthusiasm.

"True." Elizabeth watched with amusement as a few of the more upstanding military men broke into a raucous version of "I'm Too Sexy." Suddenly, she heard something very odd at her side.

"…..For my shirt. I'm too sexy," Rodney's voice cracked with drunken laughter. Before long, both Rodney and John had joined in the slightly garbled, terribly off-key rendition of the classic Right Said Fred song. The women stood far away, shaking their heads at the poor, drunk men dancing in a little group, which was getting larger by each stanza.

"I wonder what they are thinking right now," Teyla murmured thoughtfully, watching Carson and John bump hips.

"I have no idea, but tomorrow, they'll pay." Elizabeth took another cautious sip. At Teyla's quizzical look, she explained further, "They'll have these pains that we call hangovers when they wake up. It comes from drinking too much at one time."

"Ah, yes. We have the same thing, though we do not put a name to it. We have a quick remedy that is easy to make. If you would like, I can send some over to you tomorrow?"

"That would be lovely Teyla, thank yo—"

"I'm too sexy for my cat. Poor pussy cat!" Rodney all but waltzed and tangoed over to the two women.

"Are you now?" Elizabeth said amusedly.

"Yes. Haven't you noticed?" He stated, hooking his thumbs into his waistband in a fake male model pose.

"Ah, of course," she dodged the question, because, in reality, she had; she just didn't want to let him know that, "So. Having fun?"

"Fun? More or less?" He wavered unsteadily, wobbling.

'Rodney? Are you okay?" Elizabeth put a hand on his shoulder to steady him.

"Yeah. I'm good." He raised his glass, draining the blue colored liquid.

"Okay, I think you've had enough." She snagged the glass out of his hands firmly, much to his annoyance.

"Hey, 's'good. Don' take away." He staggered and held onto Elizabeth tightly.

"Hon, it's getting late, so let's get you back. Jumper three's leaving right now, so come on."

"No…'s fun!"

"Yeah, I know. John?" The aforementioned man looked up to see Rodney almost falling over, his face tinged a slight green, Elizabeth looking concerned and Teyla a sea of calm, as usual.

'One down, two to go,' he thought amusedly.

"Yeah? Oh…you guys leaving? That sucks. You'll miss all the fun; Bates and Johnson are _this close_ to fighting. It's gonna be sweet." Teyla looked at him reproachfully.

"John!"

"Sorry, sorry."

"Bye, guys. Say good-bye, Rodney." Elizabeth instructed, holding him up as if he were a small child.

"Bye…'s'nice. Bye," Rodney muttered, slightly incoherently.

"Good luck, you two, and, in case I haven't said it already, congratulations! Now bye."

"I hope you feel better, Dr. McKay. I will try to send the cure we were talking about along, Elizabeth. Good night." Teyla looked on with real sympathy to the situation.

They walked slowly to the awaiting jumper, loading into it. They had barely made it into the city, on their way to her quarters, Elizabeth whispering into his ear to keep him awake and walking. It was then that Dr. Rodney McKay, astrophysics genius, fainted. Again.

* * *

Hehehehe...okay, so that's that. Stay tuned, dear readers, for the next installment. Coming soon to a computer near you. :-D Hope y'all liked it. It was fun to write... 


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